Abba: The Album ~ A Mixed Bag (The Album - ABBA)

Member Name: keeperofthematri

Product:	The Album - ABBA
Date:	20/05/09 (6 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Eagle, Take A Chance On Me & The Name Of The Game ~ all great songs

Disadvantages: Move On, Hole In Your Soul, I'm A Marionette ~ not the best

"The Album" was originally released in 1978 & featured 9 tracks by Abba

01) Eagle
Simply gorgeous &, without a doubt, a stong contender for the best song that wasn't a UK single that Abba ever did. Vocally & lyrically this is a great song.

02) Take A Chance On Me
Abba first UK single release of 1978 was their seventh in total. Agnetha & Frida share lead vocals on this uptempo number which contrasts nicely with the slower songs Eagle and One Man, One Woman.

03) One Man One Woman
For me, the weakest of the first four tracks on this album, which isn't to say that it's a bad song, just that I prefer the two singles & Eagle.

04) The Name Of The Game
From the opening notes of this track you can just tell that it has "single potential" written all over it. With a lead vocal by Agnetha it became the group's sixth UK number one in 1977. Hard to decide whether this or Take A Chance On Me are the best single from this album as they're both that good.

05) Move On
When the music to this first starts it feels quite similar to One Man, One Woman but once the vocal kicks in it's obvious that it's a different sort of song altogether. This is a rare occasion where the verses to the song are better than the chorus because, in this case, the chorus is below par.
It's apparent by this point that this is going to be a very different Abba album to any other that's gone before. This is a rather gentle song but unfortunately it fails to make very much of an impression on the listener.

06) Hole In Your Soul
Possibly the most screechy that Agnetha & Frida have ever sounded. Just when you think you know where this song is going there's a slowed down soft middle eight which doesn't fit in at all with the rest of the track.

07) Thank You For The Music
Abba's sort of unofficial anthem features a lead vocal by Agnetha & is, without doubt, the best track on the album between tracks 5 & 9.

08) I Wonder (Departure)
Well written & performed ballad which is probably the runner-up to Thank You For The Music as the best track on the second half of this album.

09) I'm A Marionette
Definitely the oddest track on the album. The verses are decent enough by the chorus slows things down & is rather too stilted form my liking. One you'll either like or loathe.

Later versions also included:

10) Thank You For The Music (Doris Day Mix)
A different version of track 7. I'm not that keen on it. Not sure that Doris day would be either!

After the relatively even standard of "Arrival" the uneveness of this album comes as a bit of a surprise. However, the album's worth buying if only for Eagle, Take A Chance On Me & The Name Of The Game.
Move On, Hole In Your Soul & I'm A Marionette are not typical Abba songs so it'll depend on your individual taste whether you like them or not.

Summary: A rather mixed album. Not as good as Arrival or Super Trouper